Pelvic health for men and women is a medical area of increasing importance, at least in part due to an aging population. Examples of common pelvic ailments include incontinence (e.g., fecal and urinary), pelvic tissue prolapse (e.g., female vaginal prolapse), and conditions of the pelvic floor.
Urinary incontinence can further be classified as including different types, such as stress urinary incontinence (SUI), urge urinary incontinence, mixed urinary incontinence, among others. Urinary incontinence can be characterized by the loss or diminution in the ability to maintain the urethral sphincter closed as the bladder fills with urine. Male or female SUI generally occurs when the patient is physically stressed.
Many strategies have been implemented over the years to provide mesh implants adapted to enhance therapeutic support of the respective pelvic tissues. For instance, sling and other implant devices are known to provide support of the urethra or bladder neck in treating urinary incontinence in patients.
Many of the implants promoted for treating incontinence and other pelvic disorders were born from and inherited the material and geometric restraints of existing stent and hernia implants. While objectively effective in their respective applications, such stent and hernia implants are naturally constructed to address very different issues. Namely, the requisite barrier, rigidity and tissue integration and compatibility needs of a hernia mesh or vascular stent implant can be very disparate from the implant characteristics required in treating pelvic incontinence.
Although these traditional mesh implants have had a tremendous benefit for those suffering from incontinence, there is still room for improvement. As a result, there is a desire to obtain a uniquely applicable, minimally invasive and highly effective implantable sling support that can be used to treat incontinence or other pelvic disorders and conditions.